2019 Stanley Cup Futures Odds
- Track 2019 NHL Championship odds for all 31 teams
- See how the odds have ebbed and followed throughout the season, and view teams either individually or compared to others trending in the same direction
- The Leafs, Lightning, and Predators are the top 3 Stanley Cup Contenders nearly three weeks into the season
NHL season lasts nearly nine months, but just because there aren’t meaningful games played from July to September, it doesn’t mean your itch to bet on hockey will go unscratched. All year long you can wager on Stanley Cup futures – or, “who is going to eventually win the Stanley Cup,” for those unfamiliar with the term “futures.”
And we’ve got great news: we have been tracking and will continue to track, all 31 NHL teams’ odds to win the Stanley Cup, all year long. The graphs you’ll see below were generated by calculating the average odds for each team from a variety of sportsbooks.
National Hockey League
Top Contenders (November 5th, 2018)
| Team | Bovada Odds (11/09/2018) |
|---|---|
| Toronto Maple Leafs | +475 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | +700 |
| Nashville Predators | +700 |
| Boston Bruins | +1200 |
| San Jose Sharks | +1200 |
For the first time since futures bets were available at online sportsbooks, the Toronto Maple Leafs opened the season as the de facto favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Time will tell if they’ll break their 50-year cup drought, but they’re poised for success after landing John Tavares in the offseason. Despite losing Auston Matthews for a month (possibly more) to a shoulder injury, the Nylander-less Maple Leafs have kept winning.
The December 1st deadline to get Nylander signed isn’t that far away, so look for the Maple Leafs’ odds to get even shorter once he’s either on the roster or traded for some immediate roster help. Its highly unlikely Dubas leaves the Nylander contract saga unresolved after December 1st.
Tampa and Nashville are approaching in the rearview mirror quickly, and either team may soon edge them out as oddsmakers’ choice for the cup favorites.
- After the acquisition of Erik Karlsson only a few weeks before the season, San Jose’s cup odds have dramatically shortened across online sportsbooks. They’ve got a (somewhat) undeserved reputation for being playoff chokers, and they’ll look to rectify that this coming post-season.
- The Boston Bruins have a bevy of talented young players to supplement their dynamic veteran offense. Combine that with a deep defense and the steady goaltending of Tuukka Rask, and they’re likely to be among the class of the NHL in 2018-2019.
- The Jets are still trying to find their groove in the early goings, but they’ll doubtlessly make a serious push for the cup this bring.
- The Predators are well-set for another deep run in the playoffs. At average odds of +730, they’re starting to get the love from bookmakers that they always warranted. Despite losing to the Jets in the 2018 playoffs, they’ve got shorter odds than the Jets a few weeks into the season.
Teams Searching For Their First Cup
Here’s a list of the NHL teams without an etching on the Stanley Cup:
| Team | Years in the NHL | Cup Final Appearances | Closest They’ve Come |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vancouver Canucks | 48 | 3 | Game 7 Cup Final losses in both 2011 and 1994. No one in Vancouver will ever forget LaFayette’s post or the ensuing riots. |
| Buffalo Sabres | 48 | 2 | Game 6 in 1999. Losing in overtime, no thanks to Brett Hull’s foot in the crease. |
| San Jose Sharks | 27 | 1 | Game 6 in 2016. They’ve never been able to shed their label as chokers. |
| Nashville Predators | 20 | 1 | Game 6 in 2017. Nashville fans still rue the bad call on Sissons’ go-ahead goal. |
| Ottawa Senators | 26 | 1 | Game 5 in 2007. A heartbreaking series for that culminated in the infamous Emery-Phillips mixup. |
| Vegas Golden Knights | 1 | 1 | Game 5 in 2018. Luca Sbisa hands the game to Lars Eller to end the Knights historic run. |
| St. Louis Blues | 52 | 3 | The St. Louis Blues got swept in the finals in three consecutive years, in 1968, 1969, and 1970. |
| Florida Panthers | 25 | 1 | Swept by Colorado in 1996, despite the year of the rat. |
| Arizona Coyotes | 22 | 0 | Lost in 5 games to the LA Kings in 2012. Dustin Brown isn’t admired by Glendale faithful. |
| Winnipeg Jets | 24 (1979-1996, 2011-2018) | 0 | Defeated by the LA Kings in 5 games in 2018. Canada’s best hope was no match for Ryan Reaves’ heroics. |
| Minnesota Wild | 18 | 0 | Swept in the 2003 Conference Finals. Despite a disappointing playoff history, they did end Patrick Roy’s career in spectacular fashion. |
| Columbus Blue Jackets | 18 | 0 | The Jackets have only won 4 playoff games in their history, 2 in 2014 and 2 in 2018. They probably beat the Caps if not for Lars Eller’s shin, though. |
Top Canadian Teams
No Canadian team has won since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993, but 2019 looks like a promising year for the 26-year drought to come to an end.
- The Winnipeg Jets ran out of gas against the Vegas Knights in the conference finals this year, but they looked unbeatable for large stretches of the 2018 postseason. With their young guns only trending upwards, we’d give Winnipeg the best chances of ending Canada’s 24-year cup drought.
- Toronto isn’t a bad bet either, but their odds are probably far too short considering the question marks surrounding them. However, they’ve proved they’ve got what it takes to compete with the league’s best, and they’ve battled through the adversity of not having their superstar player in Auston Matthews.
- The Canucks, Canadiens, and Senators are all off to much better starts than expected, but don’t expect them to contend for the cup this season. The Senators are already coming back down to
- The Edmonton Oilers, after a rough start, are starting to look better.
Team Stanley Cups Finals Appearances Last Championship Last Finals Appearance Montreal Canadiens 24 33 1993 1993 Toronto Maple Leafs 13 21 1967 1967 Edmonton Oilers 5 7 1990 2006 Calgary Flames 1 3 1989 2004 Vancouver Canucks 0 2 N/A 2011
Eastern Conference
Metropolitan Division
The Metropolitan Division boats two perennial powerhouses in the east, the Washington Capitals, and the Pittsburgh Penguins. The division boast 3 of the top 4 active playoff performers in the NHL in Ovechkin, Crosby, and Malkin. All three of them have Conn Smythe trophies, to boot.
- Believe it or not, the Washington Capitals aren’t the favorite to repeat, even in their own division. As it stands, the Penguins are favorited over them. However, some astute management by Brian MacLellan has let them keep the majority of their cup winning core together, so they’ll still be a force in the east. MacLellan’s retention of John Carlson sure looks good in the early-goings.
- Despite losing John Tavares in the offseason, the addition of coach Barry Trotz and Lou Lamoriello has imbued the franchise with some much needed organizational stability. They’ve been better than expected.
Team Stanley Cups Finals Appearances Last Championship Last Finals Appearance Washington Capitals 1 2 2018 2018 Pittsburgh Penguins 5 6 2017 2017 New York Rangers 4 11 1994 2014 New York Islanders 4 5 1983 1984 New Jersey Devils 3 5 2003 2012
Atlantic Division
Outside of the Bruins, Lightning, and Leafs, the Atlantic division is almost totally irrelevant in a discussion of potential Stanley Cup Favorites. The Panthers will be strong contenders for a playoff berth, but they’re infinitely closer to being first-round cannon fodder than they are to being legitimate contenders.
- The Sabres have seen their odds shorten in the early goings of the season, and many pundits predict them to be one of the most improved teams in the league this year. Jack Eichel’s got to break out sometime, but a month into the season, Buffalo still looks to be mired in mediocrity.
- All signs point towards the Red Wings being the odds on favorite to finish 31st. They have the longest cup odds of any team in the league, and for good reason.
Team Stanley Cups Finals Appearances Last Championship Last Finals Appearance Toronto Maple Leafs 13 21 1967 1967 Boston Bruins 6 19 2011 2013 Tampa Bay Lightning 1 2 2004 2015 Detroit Red Wings 11 24 2008 2009 Montreal Canadiens 24 33 1993 1993
Western Conference
Pacific Division
In the offseason, the Pacific Division didn’t project to be very strong in 2018-2019, with Vegas being the only expected Cup Contender. After the Sharks acquired Erik Karlsson, things changed quickly, and the Sharks became eminently relevant once again.
- A team to keep your eye on this season is the Edmonton Oilers, Going into the season, we thought it was unlikely that they’d be able to repeat such an epically disastrous flop of a season again in 2018-2019. After a rough start, they’re looking like they’ll at least make the playoffs.
- Arizona’s odds have dramatically shortened. They’re looking impressive (especially defensively), and their plan to score by committee looks like its working thus far.
- Vegas’ odds continue to get longer. They’re still a good team, but bookmakers are clueing into the fact that they’re going to have a really difficult time repeating last year’s success. Erik Haula looks like he’s going to be out long-term as well, which further hurts their chances.
Team Stanley Cups Finals Appearances Last Championship Last Finals Appearance Anaheim Ducks 1 2 2007 2007 LA Kings 2 3 2014 2014 San Jose Sharks 0 1 N/A 2016 Vegas Golden Knights 0 1 N/A 2018 Edmonton Oilers 5 7 1990 2006
Central Division
The Central Division boasts a number of strong teams, headlined by powerhouses in Nashville and Winnipeg. It’s a shame only 5 teams from the Central can make the playoffs because all 8 of these teams look like they’ll have a legitimate shot to enter the postseason in 2018-2019.
- St. Louis will likely rebound in a big way in 2018-2019, especially in the wake of acquiring both Tyler Bozak and Ryan O’Reilly. Additionally, they’ll get have many of their core players healthy again in 2018-2019. They look extremely shaky in the early going, but we still think they’re just too talented to not make a name for themselves in the Western Conference. Mike Yeo should be looking over his shoulder, though.
Team Stanley Cups Finals Appearances Last Championship Last Finals Appearance Chicago Blackhawks 6 13 2015 2015 St. Louis Blues 0 3 N/A 1970 Colorado Avalanche 2 2 2001 2001 Dallas Stars 1 4 1999 2000 Nashville Predators 0 1 N/A 2017
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